A Love Story?
by spooksfan08
Summary: When Beth believes things are changing with her and Dimitri she turns to Ruth for advice. After all, as far as she can see Harry and Ruth are the major love story of Thames House. Can she learn anything from her friend?
1. Chapter 1

Girl talk

The Grid was quiet as Beth walked through the pods. She was exhausted and fed up. The Russian billionaire they have been investigating was a sleeze and beginning to annoy her.

"Hi." Ruth smiled as she saw the young blonde walk towards her desk. "Why are you here?"

"Was going to file my report." Beth sighed. "You ?"

"Harry is at Whitehall. I was just going to finish this report before meeting him."

"How long have you two been together? Seems like forever." Beth rested her head on one hand. Ruth smiled slightly.

"One day some young spook will ask you that. About you and Dimitri."

"My Sailor Boy." Beth shook her head. "I hope so."

"He lost his leg. Because he saved my life." Ruth looked away. "Beth."

"He would have done exactly the same if Erin, Zoe or anyone had been there. He doesn't blame you, he blames the psycho that set up the bomb. And so do I."

"I blame me." Ruth sighed. "I."

"You are being ridiculous." Beth looked up. "Now come on, where are you and Harry going?"

"I don't know. Terri and Graham are babysitting. It's our wedding anniversary." Ruth glanced at the wedding and eternity ring on her left hand. Beth raised her eyebrows.

"You didn't say anything." Beth watched as Ruth shrugged.

"Someone was trying to blow up London Bridge. Hardly seemed important." Ruth smiled as Beth rolled her eyes.

"Spill, how did you meet? Everyone here knows you two are the big love story of Thames House."

"There's been others. You and Dimitri for a start."

"Ruth!"

"We met at work. I had a secondment from GCHQ, ended up staying. Thanks to Tom Quinn putting a good word in for me." Ruth smiled at the memory.

"And what?"

"Beth?" Ruth blushed before turning back to her computer.

"And when did you fall for him?"

"I always liked him. He had a reputation, so I knew of him before I came here." Ruth bit her lip. "But nothing happened then. I was too concerned about what other people think. Zoe already thought I was bonkers."

"But brilliant, Adam told me."

"So I kept my distance. Until the day he died."

"What?"

"Obviously he really didn't die." Ruth looked far away as she spoke. "We were trapped on the grid, it was a smaller team then. Just Harry, Tom, Malcolm, Colin, Zoe, Danny and I. We had a EERIE exercise. Harry had to pretend that the virus we believed was attacking the outside world had killed him."

"Who was in charge?"

"Tom. It was awful but I knew then. When it turned out that Harry was ok I was furious. The others were obviously relieved but I was so angry."

"Because you had been lied to?"

"Not just that." Ruth looked up. "Because I thought I'd have to live in a world without him. That was when I knew."

"So you got together then?"

"No." Ruth shook her head. "We should have but no, I was too shy, too concerned about my professional reputation."

"And Harry?"

"Got frustrated with me. He knew how I felt, he knew I was scared. We got together just before I had to leave."

"I heard you were in deep cover."

"Um, yeah." Ruth knew that was the story most people had been told about their analyst faking her death and then returning almost three years later. "It went wrong, I wasn't supposed to be able to come home."

"Oh my word." Beth bit her lip as tears filled Ruth 's eyes. "I didn't know. Oh Ruth."

"So to cut a long story short I ended up back here. Harry never stopped loving me." She smiled, wiping a tear away . "I was angry , furious and feeling guilty. I loved him so much but I was scared of myself I think so we didn't really get together until after Jo died."

"I never knew."

"No." Ruth nodded. "Look, don't waste time. Dimitri has to adapt to another way of life now. He's never wanted to be desk bound but that is the way things are headed. He has a prosthetic limb, it had to change the way he feels about himself."

"Doesn't change how I feel." Beth twisted a tissue in her hands as Ruth watched. The gesture so familiar it seemed it was burned onto her memory.

"Tell him." Ruth smiled. "I should have told Harry years before I did. Tell Dimitri." She paused. "Don't make the same mistake I did."

"We got there in the end." Ruth smiled as she heard a very familiar male voice. Beth turned to see her boss walk towards then. "And I'm sure you will too."

"I hope so, Harry." Beth blushed as Ruth got to her feet. "Have a good night."

"We will." Harry took Ruth's hand as he led her out the Grid. Beth watched them go before picking up the phone.

"Hi. Dim." She spoke. "It's me. Can I come over? Now?" She smiled as he agreed. She hoped Harry and Ruth were right, that things would be ok.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer not mine. Kudos and BBC own everything. I don't know why the disclaimer in the first chapter didn't come out. **

**Anniversary Waltz?**

Ruth slipped her hand into Harry's as they walked from the car along the rain soaked West London streets. She still had no idea where they were going and for once she wasn't too concerned. It was her wedding anniversary, and she was off duty in the West End of London with Harry. It didn't really matter where else they were going.

"Are you alright?" Harry glanced back at her. The rain began spotting again as she nodded.

"Yes, just thinking." She smiled slightly. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I'd be worried if you weren't." She slapped his arm affectionately as he chuckled.

"Nick is right."

"Excuse me?" He ushered her along the road towards a small Italian Bistro.

"He said you laugh like Muttley. An old cartoon was on the TV yesterday. One of the characters." Harry shook his head.

"A dog called Muttley. Catherine used to tell me the same when she was a girl. Come on." He squeezed her hand before leading her into the Bistro.

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Beth bit her lip as she stood outside the small flat she had shared with Dimitri since her neurosurgery over a year earlier. So much had happened since they had met she barely knew where to begin.

"Hi." Dimitri opened the door. "Are you ok?" She nodded before following him into the living room.

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"What?" Dimitri frowned as she stepped towards the sofa.

"About us. About Harry and Ruth."

"Harry and Ruth." Dimitri repeated before sitting next to her.

"It's their wedding anniversary. They've been together forever." Beth sighed. "Maybe not officially, but they have always had something between them." Dimitri watched as Beth bit her lip. He had never seen her act so unsure of herself. It was beginning to worry him.

"Yeah." He nodded. "Remember when she went missing? After we started there? I thought Harry was going to have a coronary if we didn't find her when we did."

"I remember." She paused. "Do you see us like that?"

"No, I'm only a year older than you." Dimitri smiled as he tried to lighten the mood. "And we don't have so much baggage. Kids, divorces and stuff. We're just us."

"I'm divorced." Beth looked at him. "You knew that. You have Andy. I know you believe he's yours."

"No, he isn't." Dimitri glared.

"So, we all have our baggage." She frowned. "Just different."

"And not as much as Harry and Ruth." Dimitri sighed. "I see what you are saying."

"Do you?" She turned to face him. "Really Dim, because."

"Beth Bailey, shut up and listen." He took her hand in his own and stared at her. "If Harry and Ruth can make it work with everything we have seen them go through then we've got no problem." He kissed her gently as all talk was forgotten.

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Harry tugged his collar closer to him as he looked up at the rain. Ruth smiled, watching him as he debated whether to wait in the doorway or brave getting soaked. She slipped her arm around his, slipping her hand into his pocket as he turned to face her.

"Penny for them?" She blinked as he held her gaze.

"I was just thinking, I hope Dimitri has taken my advice." She frowned slightly, wondering why his thoughts had turned to their colleague when they were supposed to be heading home on their wedding anniversary.

"And what advice would that be?" She pulled her coat tighter with one hand, hoping to avoid some of the rain water running down her back.

"Only not to make the same mistakes I did. Not to let go if he doesn't want to. However difficult things seem." She nodded, understanding his meaning. Pushing herself up on her toes she kissed him gently.

"You old romantic." She stepped out in to the rain as Harry chuckled.

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A/N thanks for reading x


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